1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a slide feeder, a slide system and a slide feeding method, and more particularly, is suitably applicable, for example, to a slide feeder which feeds slides to a slide scanner.
2. Description of the Related Art
A slide mount (hereinafter simply referred to as a slide) 1 is conventionally configured by holding a developed photographic film 2 corresponding to a frame with a frame like case 3 made of synthetic resin, paper or the like as shown in FIG. 1.
There have conventionally been used an apparatus which converts an image on the slide 1 (that is, an image recorded on the photographic film 2) into an electric signal by optically scanning the image (hereinafter referred to as a film scanner) and an apparatus which is configured to be capable of consecutively feeding the slide 1 one by one to the film scanner (hereinafter referred to as a slide feeder).
Such a conventional slide feeder has a configuration in which structures are different between a first slide stock section for stocking the slide 1 which has not yet been fed to a slide scanner and a second slide stock section for stocking the slide 1 discharged from the slide scanner, thereby being incapable of automatically feeding the slide 1 stocked in the second slide stock section again into the slide scanner.
When such a conventional slide feeder is to carry out works of preliminary scanning a plurality of slides 1 with the slide scanner, selecting a slide for a color adjustment or the like and then regularly scanning the slides 1 once again with the slide scanner, for example, the conventional slide feeder therefore requires a manual work to return the slides 1 stocked in the second slide stock section to the first slide stock section thereby posing a problem of inconvenience in use.
Furthermore, the conventional slide feeder uses a molded feeding block 4 which is disposed in the above described first slide stock section so as to be movable in a feeding direction (indicated by an arrow g) of the slides 1 and a reverse direction as shown in FIG. 2, and sends out the slides 1 to the slide scanner by pushing the slides 1 with the feeding block 4 in the feeding direction on the basis of a driving force given from a driving system (not shown) to the feeding block 4.
Accordingly, such a slide feeder is incapable of feeding a next slide 1 until the feeding block 4 returns to an original position after feeding the slide 1 and is not suited to a high-speed scanning work, thereby being still insufficient or problematic in performance.
Furthermore, the conventional slide feeder separates the slides 1 using a metal leaf spring 5 as shown in FIG. 2 to prevent the slides 1 from being fed in a plurality to the slide scanner, but the leaf spring 5 cannot stably separate the slides 1 framed with the thin paper cases 3 (FIG. 1), thereby being still insufficient or problematic in stable feeding capability for the slides 1.
In view of the foregoing, an object of this invention is to provide a slide feeder, a slide system and a slide feeding method which are capable of first enhancing convenience in use and secondly remarkably improving performance.
The foregoing object and other objects of the invention have been achieved by the provision of a slide feeder which comprises: a slide carrying mechanism section which is disposed between a first and second slide stock sections, and feeds the slide mounts stocked in the first slide stock section into an external appliance, and takes and carries the slide mounts discharged from the external appliance so as to be stocked into the second slide stock section in a first operation mode, and feeds the slide mounts stocked in the second slide stock section into the external appliance and carries the slide mounts discharged from the external appliance so as to be stocked into the first slide stock section in a second operation mode.
As a result, this slide feeder is capable of feeding the same slide mounts repeatedly into the external appliance simply by switching the operation modes with no help by a human hand.
Furthermore, the slide feeder according to the present invention uses a rotatable roller and roller driving means for rotatingly driving the above described roller which are disposed in the slide carrying mechanism section for carrying the slide mounts so that the slide mounts stocked in the first slide stock section are pressed to the roller, thereby being carried in a feeding direction with a rotating force of the above described roller.
As a result, this slide feeder is capable of sending out a next slide mount immediately after sending out a slide mount. Accordingly, the slide feeder is sufficiently capable of coping with a high-speed treatment of slide mounts in practical use, for example, with an external appliance.
Furthermore, the slide feeder according to the present invention uses a separating pad having a taper surface which is disposed in the slide carrying mechanism section for carrying the slide mount and strikes leading ends of the slide mounts in the feeding direction against the taper surface of the separating pad, thereby separating the slide mounts at a feeding time.
As a result, the slide feeder is capable of performing separation of the slide mount at the feeding time more securely than that performed using, for example, an elastic member such as a leaf spring.
Furthermore, according to the present invention, a slide system is composed between the slide feeder for carrying slide mounts and an external appliance to which the slide mounts are fed.
As a result, this slide system is capable of feeding the same slide mounts repeatedly into the external appliance simply by switching the operation modes with no help by a human hand.
Furthermore, the slide feeding method according to the present invention comprises: in a first operation mode, feeding slide mounts stocked in the first slide stock section which is disposed in a slide feeder from the slide feeder to the external appliance, and taking and carrying the slide mounts discharged from the external appliance so as to stock the slide mounts into the second slide stock section disposed in the slide feeder; and in a second operation mode, feeding the slide mounts stocked in the second slide stock section to the external appliance, taking the slide mounts discharged from the external appliance and carrying the slide mounts so as to stock into the first slide stock section.
In this way, this slide feeding method is capable of feeding the same slide mounts repeatedly into the external appliance simply by switching the operation modes with no help by a human hand.
The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals or characters.